Fla. Ex-Couple Suspected Of Sham-Marriage Scam

Tuesday

Sep 4, 2007 at 2:19 AM

ORLANDO | Vladimir Danilov's wife never stepped inside his home, even after they married.

After all, the 40-year-old Danilov was living there with a girlfriend half his age.

Malkhaz Kapanadze's bride would've needed to board a plane to see him. He was living in Brooklyn with his other wife and their child. But it didn't matter to this woman, as long as her $300-per-month checks kept coming in the mail.

These Volusia County marriages - and many others, investigators say - were more like business transactions than stories of happily ever after.

They were at the heart of a federal investigation into a Central Florida couple accused of arranging marriages between U.S. citizens and immigrants who wanted the fast - and fraudulent - path to citizenship.

Ten thousand dollars bought a spouse and a shotgun wedding, records show. The citizen suitors were discovered at Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Prostitutes and day laborers were bought off for $1,000 up front and $300 per month until a green card came for the strangers they wedded.

At least five men, from Israel, Uzbekistan and Georgia, have been prosecuted for illegal entry into the country based on the marriage scams. They've been sentenced to time served and given unsupervised probation, provided they leave the United States.

The couple suspected of arranging the scams, Larry and Natalia Humm, are now divorced. Larry Humm, a former Volusia County deputy sheriff, has struck a deal with federal authorities to cooperate in the prosecution of others - including his wife, according to court filings earlier this month.

Larry Humm remains free, while Natalia Humm, his Russian-born ex, is behind bars. Neither could be reached for comment.

'a severe threat'

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has established specific task forces that target this type of activity. Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the agency's southern office, said these marriages "pose a severe threat" to public safety and security.

A five-year investigation in California resulted in "Operation Newlywed Game," in which more than 50 people were indicted for arranging sham marriages for Chinese and Vietnamese nationals. It is thought to be the largest marriage fraud bust in the U.S.

"At the end of the day, they're trying to circumvent the law," Gonzalez said.

It also happens to be the fastest way to get a green card, said Carl Shusterman, a Los Angeles immigration lawyer who also used to work for Immigration and Naturalization Service. The process can take up to more than 20 years in other cases, he said.

It's unclear from court documents how this scheme began, but it appears the Humms made their money from word-of-mouth advertising - both here and abroad.

marriage rent

Soon-to-be couples were introduced in Natalia Humm's Daytona Beach office, Power of Attorney, Inc., according to court records. There was no courting, no wooing and typically little time to make each other's acquaintance. They'd travel to the Volusia County Courthouse to obtain their marriage certificates and return to the office for a sparsely attended wedding ceremony, in which Natalia Humm officiated in her role as a notary public, court records show.

After the I-dos, the newlyweds posed for pictures that they would later use as proof to immigration officials of their commitment. The women were instructed to take their husband's last name for purposes of a Social Security card and to change their driver license address to that of their spouse.

To further make the marriage look real, they were told to leave clothing and personal belongings at each other's homes and to set up a joint bank account, according to federal court documents.

Money was exchanged the day of the ceremony. Typically, the bride would receive $1,000. A recruiter would usually be paid a $500 finder's fee. In one case, a bride was given a 1999 Dodge Intrepid in return for her continued participation in the scam, according to court records.

For every month forward, the foreigners would pay their citizen spouses $300, a marriage rent of sorts. The payments would end once a green card was issued.

In the meantime, the husband and wife rarely saw each other, unless it was for a meeting with government officials, documents show.

'rough times'

When immigration officials arrived at the home of Danilov's wife on Sept. 14, 2006, it had been a while since she had spoken to her supposed husband. The special agents knew that, but they didn't let on.

The woman said she and her husband were going through some "rough times" and that they were living apart, court records show. She told them Danilov was at work and she had talked to him earlier that day.

Problem was Danilov had been in jail since the night before on an outstanding warrant for grand theft.

When she was confronted with that information, the woman confessed.

She told them of the fake marriage and monthly payments, and she showed them a single sheet of notebook paper with information she was supposed to memorize, court documents said.

Written across the top was Danilov's name. It was a list of basic biographical information - birth date, son's name and birthplace - and likes and dislikes - his favorite color is white and he hates seafood.

Eleven days later, federal search warrants were executed on the Humms' office and home. Natalia Humm told authorities about "her involvement in marriage fraud and the fact that she knew that what she was doing was against the law," according to court documents.

Investigators estimate the couple had ties to more than 25 but fewer than 99 fraudulent marriages, according to Larry Humm's plea agreement. In one case, the couple divorced before a green card was issued because they feared getting into legal trouble.

It didn't help. The husband, Israeli citizen Erez Alul, was prosecuted and sentenced to three years' unsupervised probation - provided he left the country and didn't return.

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